ASSAY FOR BIOMARKERS

Magnetic Nanoparticles for Multiplexed Assays for Low and High Molecular Weight Biomarkers

 Partecipanti

Mappa

 Word cloud

Esplora la "nuvola delle parole (Word Cloud) per avere un'idea di massima del progetto.

 Obiettivo del progetto (Objective)

'The application for the FP7-PEOPLE-2009-IEF is to support a move of a postdoctoral researcher to University College Dublin, UCD. The researcher to date has published in 16 peer reviewed journals and has a current h-index of 8. With the expert training and opportunities in place at UCD, the award of the fellowship will build upon the successful start of his academic career and deliver him to a full time academic position. This research proposal outlines a new technique capable of screening biomarkers with the capability of working directly in biological samples. The benefits of monitoring biomarkers lie in their ability to reveal signs of disease before the onset of major symptoms. The proposed technique will involve synthesizing nanoparticles to contain paramagnetic and optical properties, that will then be functionalized with aptamers/ or antibodies. These functionalized particles will capture the biomarkers directly from solution, and in conjunction with non-linear magnetophoretic separation, NLM, will allow the quick separation and detection by exploiting the particles superparamagnetic and optical properties, creating a new diagnostic technology. The experimental details will deliver a single process capable of capturing the analyte as well as performing the initial sample purification and pre-concentration stage that screens multiple biomarkers for several diseases across a wide range of molecular weights and functionalities. It will deliver benefits of being both a multiplexed technique that also offers a highly desirable tagless detection mechanism. The training that accompanies this will ensure the fellow has a broad scientific understanding, crossing several scientific fields delivering an interdisciplinary research approach. When combined with the support infrastructure in place at UCD, will deliver outstanding career enhancement prospects to the applicant, delivering a new diagnostic technique to enhance the European research portfolio.'

Introduzione (Teaser)

Scientists developed a novel platform for high-throughput screening for numerous biomarkers of multiple diseases. Capable of analysing the biological sample directly, it is generating intense commercial interest.

Descrizione progetto (Article)

In the search for biomarkers of disease, a range of separation and sorting protocols exist to identify components of cells or fluids. Of these, many are dependent on tagging or labelling the molecule of interest, and the entire process from protein expression to tagging to purification and recovery can be time consuming, costly and laborious.

Scientists initiated the EU-funded project 'Magnetic nanoparticles for multiplexed assays for low and high molecular weight biomarkers' (ASSAY FOR BIOMARKERS) to develop a novel tagless diagnostic technology. The assay is capable of capturing the biomarkers directly from the analyte solution and separating and detecting biomarkers of interest all in one step.

The technology exploits nanoparticles (NPs) with paramagnetic or optical properties functionalised with aptamers (small, single-stranded target-binding nucleic acid molecules) or antibodies and combined with novel nanopore technology. The NPs bind to the biomarkers of interest within the analyte itself. Given the use of both aptamers and antibodies, the system can screen numerous biomarkers of interest with a large range of molecular weights and functionalities. The tuneable nanopore technology based on multicomponent metallic nanorods enables biomolecular separation and analysis.

ASSAY FOR BIOMARKERS delivered a novel, one-step process for high-throughput screening of multiple disease biomarkers directly from biological samples. The work, which resulted in 22 publications and three patent applications with promising commercial interest, is expected to have significant impact on early the diagnosis and treatment of disease with greatly improved patient outcomes.